Man accused of producing cannabis with a potential value of £12,000

A man has appeared in court accused of producing potentially thousands of pounds worth of drugs after an alleged discovery of 17 cannabis plants at his home.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Tuesday, August 2, how Robert Wood, 39, of Hunloke Road, Holmewood, Chesterfield, was allegedly producing cannabis between March and May, 2016, and allegedly used electricity dishonestly without authority to help harvest the suspected crop during the same dates.

Prosecuting solicitor John Cooper claimed police searched the property and found nine cannabis plants in one area with crops which had been grown from cuttings and there were claims of six lights with 600watt bulbs with an extraction system and a fan.

Mr Cooper claimed a further eight cannabis were found in another room with similar bulbs and an extraction system in place.

He also alleged that the potential value of the cannabis harvest was between about £3,000 and over £12,000.

The defendant is accused of producing a controlled class B drug at his home in contravention of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and he is also accused of abstracting or using electricity dishonestly without due authority.

Wood offered no pleas at this stage of legal proceedings to either of the two charges.

Defence solicitor David Gittins accepted that the case should be sent to a crown court for a further hearing.

Magistrates opted to commit the case to Derby Crown Court for a further hearing on August 30.